Carrie Laven - Pretty Penniless
Everything You Need to Know About Being a Leading Lady, You Can Learn from Queen Latifah
As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be in the spotlight. The shiny hair, the outfits, the fake laughing while delicately holding a champagne flute… all these things spoke to me. Unfortunately, I was born more of a Judy Greer than a Judy Garland. What I
How to Achieve the “Tom Hanks Factor”
There’s a favorite memory amongst my friends Leyli, Marie and me– a memory about the three of us waiting on a subway platform, and being met by the putrid stinkeyes of a gaggle of stiletto-heeled, shiny-dressed bitches. They were all gussied up (likely for a night of rubbing up against
The Perks of Being a Bilingual Broke-Ass
I want to be bilingual, for a variety of reasons. Personally, I don’t like feeling like such an “ugly American” when rubbing elbows with the international crew that comes along with dating a well-traveled half-Brazilian. Being able to speak another language would make me seem more worldly in front of
Being a Broke-Ass is Like Being on a Mid-90s Soap Opera
Legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland once said, “We all need a splash of bad taste; no taste is what I’m against.” I wholeheartedly agree with this statement– which is why I am unashamed to do things like: lick the Tapatio-drenched remnants of an exploded on-the-go burrito off of my shirt,
Exercise Tips for the Unathletic Broke-Ass
I haven’t broken into a run since 2002. That was sophomore year of high school, when I used to get in trouble in P.E. class for leisurely bicep-curling five pound weights and gossiping with hoodrat girls who called me “Tasty Vanilla,” when I should have been pumping iron. But, alas,
Why Inappropriate Crushes are the Ultimate Free Entertainment
Few things are free in this world. However, if J. Lo taught us anything, it’s that “love don’t cost a thing,” baby! In a world where going to the movies costs $13 and a new pair of winter boots can wipe out your “me money” for the month, gazing adoringly
Broke-Ass Style: 99 Cents Store Treasures That Will Transform You Into a Pop Diva
Last weekend, I spent my Halloween dressed as Selena (a costume which– thanks to procrastination and an extremely ill-timed thunder/snowstorm– turned out looking more like an alcoholic 90s-goth-chola in snow boots, but whatevs). I’ve always had a special place in my kinky-cop-hat-and-bustier-wearing heart for that quick-stepping ranchera, and would probably